


Buffering

by Senjihae



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Idol!verse/Youtube!verse, M/M, doesn't make sense yet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-10
Updated: 2014-10-28
Packaged: 2018-02-16 20:17:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2283174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Senjihae/pseuds/Senjihae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sunggyu is a famous solo artist. Woohyun is a famous Youtuber. This is how they eventually end up together<br/>(aka Woohyun's fanboy dreams coming true)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sir, you forgot something

**Author's Note:**

> Ugh shitty summary, but this is something i've been wanting to write for a long time. Woohyun's gonna be a dork, Sunggyu is just as dorky, if not stubborn and suffering from frustrated feels.

Sunggyu sighed as he relaxed back into the worn faux leather of the subway seats. His arms and legs were aching, his stomach begged to be fed and his eyes fluttered closed every now and then. He probably would have fallen asleep if not for the jerky motion of the cart. Long nights spent practicing were finally taking it's toll on the caramel haired singer and he wanted nothing more than to take a break for... a week at least.

The idol life was demanding, and just because he was a solo artist didn't mean his load was any lighter. In fact, it was more difficult because today's audiences liked a little bit of variety. With boy bands, there were many pretty faces to chose from and worship, because that's essentially what they did. However, Sunggyu didn't have the best looking face in the business. He would readily admit that when asked; some people mistook it for modesty but no, Sunggyu knew. He could see it himself.

Sunggyu did, though, believe that he was one with talent. His vocals were unlike any other, which is how he got his foot through the door and made a name for himself. He wasn't what you would call a rookie, having already been out for two years already with the release of two albums and three mini albums, but he felt as if he was still getting his bearings.

He didn't have that personal style yet, which was made painfully obvious with the way his agency was running him ragged. He was preparing for the release of a new single now, called 'Light' and the dance that accompanied it, though slow, was all about precision and fluidity. The way his choreographer/ backup dancer/ best friend, Hoya, described it was as if the wind was his partner. He had to stay strong, but lax and allow her to take the lead.

Obviously he was doing something wrong, because the dancer had made him repeat the routine nonstop for five hours. Sunggyu just wanted to get home, take a bath, and sleep... until he had to wake up four hours later and do it all over again. The singer checked his watch, _12:36, I'm lucky I caught the last train._

He then felt light pressure against his shoulder and glanced sideways. He was surprised to see a stranger had fallen asleep on him. As tired as Sunggyu was ( _probably more tired than this guy,_ he thought bitterly) he wasn't dumb enough to fall asleep on some guy on the subway. It's happened to some of his famous acquaintances and it never, _ever_ ended well.

The boy on him though did look exhausted. His eyes, from what he could see, were rimmed with dark circles and his hair fell in his face. He wore a white wrinkled collared shirt and black slacks, Sunggyu could see an apron stick out of the bag next to him and figured the boy was a waiter or something.

Sunggyu could sympathize with him. Before he got his big break, he had several small jobs during the day and sang at night. He was always tired and even then couldn't help but fall asleep on the ride home. With another low sigh, the caramel haired boy pushed his sunglasses further up his nose and shifted closer to the boy. Though he didn't look much younger than Sunggyu, the elder felt like anyone dumb enough to sleep on the subway still carried their childish naivety.

The stranger shifted a little, clearly making himself more comfortable on his shoulder and Sunggyu wondered again if this was such a good idea.

His stop wasn't for another while, so Sunggyu pulled out his phone and pulled up the 'Snapchat' app. He took a picture with the kid (Sunggyu had to admit he was fairly good looking, but it wasn't like he was jealous or anything...) and sent it off to Hoya with a caption that read, ' _What to do, what to do...'_

He waited for a response, but upon refreshing the app he was notified that the bastard screen-shot the image.

His phone buzzed with a text seconds later.

 

_From: Hoya  
Haha, can't keep 'em away, can you?_

_To: Hoya_  
You're being stupid. The kids tired...and he's a guy.  
Last time I checked I didn't have many fan boys.

_From: Hoya  
Right, but you do look like you'd be soft enough to sleep on, I'm jealous._

 

Sunggyu rolled his eyes and sent him a very colorfully worded text message back. After he clicked send, he felt the boy shuffle a bit and raise his head. Sunggyu tilted his head and watched as he yawned shamelessly.

"Sorry," he  said, his voice hoarse with sleep. Sunggyu found it endearing, but didn't show it and waved his hand in dismissal.

The train came to a stop and the kid stood, stretching out his back and sides before picking up his bag and walking off. Sunggyu felt oddly insulted by the fact that he didn't recognize him... but he realized again that the boy probably paid more attention to rock music, a genre that Sunggyu wished he could do.

Sunggyu yawned after him and straightened up, his stop was next and if he was fast, he could make it home and fit in a little over five hours of sleep. Thinking about his bed waiting for him, alone in the dark empty dorm made his heart hurt. _Don't worry bed, I'll be there soon._

What scared Sunggyu out of his thoughts was a cold touch of rubber on his hand. He looked down and saw a blue Itouch resting on the tips of his fingers. He frowned and picked it up, examining the latest release of technology in confusion.

 _Probably the kid's,_ he deducted and slid it into his pocket. Sunggyu planned on giving it to his manager and having him turn it in to some... police station or something. Hell he didn't know what to do with the thing, but he couldn't just leave it there. That was like _asking_ for it to be stolen.

Whatever, he was too tired to really do anything else. All rational thoughts left his mind as soon as the subway car stopped and he rushed to his feet. Home, he just wanted to go home.

 

\--

 

"Since when did you get this?" Hoya whistled, staring in awe at the blue itouch. They were taking a break from dancing (well... Sunggyu was. Hoya could go on for hours if he wanted to) and the backup dancer was digging around the idol's bag for a water bottle when he found the device.

Sunggyu rolled his head lazily towards him from where he was sprawled out on the floor and squinted.

"Hell if I know. I don't own... oh!" he sat back up and reached his hand out, "Gimme! That belongs to the kid that fell asleep on me."

"Oh? This guy?" Hoya scrolled quickly through his own phone and flashed the picture Sunggyu sent towards him. The idol, in return, threw his sweaty towel at his head. Hoya let out a bark of laughter and sat down beside him, "Didn't know you were a klypto."

"I'm not," Sunggyu huffed, "Is it locked?"

He swiped the screen, "No."

"What kind of idiot leaves his shit unlocked?" Sunggyu frowned and fell back, "See if you can find... I don't know, some way to give him back his thing."

"I will..." the dancer trailed off and Sunggyu closed his eyes. He focused on his breathing, finding it a little harder to do through the stuffy, lukewarm air. He would complain about getting a dance room with windows later. He was too sore to do anything more at the moment.

He heard the shutter of a camera and cracked an eye open, finding Hoya taking a selca with himself in the background, "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Leaving pictures on his ipod, this'll teach him not to lose his things," Hoya took another picture, showcasing his canines and Sunggyu laughed.

"You know, if he recognizes us he'll probably post these pictures online. Make them good," Sunggyu sat up again and Hoya tilted the camera towards him. The two spent at least half an hour taking pictures of one another, some normal and some... not so much. Still, it helped rejuvenate Sunggyu's energy and Hoya was quick to notice. He had the idol run through his routine a few more times before allowing him to pack up.

"What about the ipod?" Sunggyu asked as he gathered up his things.

"I messaged his friend a little while ago. Some guy named 'Dino-hyung' is gonna meet up with me and get it back," Hoya replied, throwing his towel over his shoulder, "That's the only reason why you're getting off early."

"Oh _thank_ you and your kind soul," he bowed, sarcasm evident in his voice and actions and rose with a smirk, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Try getting some more practice in before you go. You need it."

"Get out of here already."

Hoya laughed and waved over his shoulder as he left. Instead of following after him, Sunggyu dropped his bag and laid back down on the wood floor. To be honest he didn't really like hanging out in the lounge room. There was always someone fussing over him, whether it be is manager or coordi-noona. If he stayed in the practice room though, they'd think he was dancing and leave him alone.

Groaning lightly, Sunggyu dug his phone out of his pocket and opened up Twitter. It was the only social media site his company allowed him to have. Most K-idols had an instagram as well, but Sunggyu didn't know how the hell to work it and felt that twitter suited him just fine.

He scrolled through the many tweets directed at him, either congratulating his win on music bank, sharing his excitement for his new album, or haters tryin'a hate. Sunggyu cringed when he saw a fan tweet him a link to a fanfic that paired himself and Nicole Jung of KARA. It wasn't that he minded fanfic's so much, in fact the creativity behind the writer's story was very impressive. He just didn't feel comfortable with the pairing.

It wasn't a secret that most male idols in the music industry were gay. Think about it, who would willingly wear that much make up and revealing clothes on stage? Sunggyu wasn't flamboyant though, he was just like any other guy that, well, preferred other guys. Nicole was a friend of his too, so seeing himself in a relationship with her felt more than awkward.

He quickly scrolled past the link and skimmed the rest of the page until a new link caught his eye.

_ThatDunDunDun: @Gyuzi Oppa! Look at this cover by @Namstar! You should collab ^^ Gyu Fighting!_

Sunggyu normally didn't click on such links. It wasn't that he didn't have time for it, but believe it or not his iphone had been through a lot and it was a wonder he could even open the smaller apps like Kakao Talk and Snapchat. Youtube was like a child, some days it cooperated and some days it crashed his phone. Today, it was being nice and the video loaded almost immediately after he clicked it.

"Finally you work with me," he mumbled and waited patiently for the male on screen to finish fixing the camera.

He was met with the face of the sleeping boy on the train, only wide awake and smiling pleasantly at him.

 _"What's up guys?"_ he began, brushing back his brunet hair. Sunggyu narrowed his eyes, it wasn't fair that the simplest action made his appeal grow, " _I have a little extra time before I have to go to work so I thought I'd share a cover. As you know, Sunggyu's new album 'Another Me' comes out in a few days, so why not get some hype for it? I'm gonna sing one of the classics, '60 seconds' and... well... enjoy._ "

Sunggyu blinked in surprise and glanced down at the video. It was a year old, indeed posted around the same time his first album came out. He was surprised because he didn't really have that big of a fan base until 'Another Me' was released. This was before that though, and he appreciated the support.

And then the boy sang, and Sunggyu turned green with envy.

The kid was good, a little raw, but definitely had talent. With some fine tuning, he could make it easily as a idol. Hell, he could probably even make it into the company that first rejected Sunggyu because he 'didn't have the right look' they wanted. Thinking of that memory made him bitter and he forced the thoughts away.

The kid was mellow, singing an a cappella take to 60 seconds that was both calming and pleasing to the ears. Sunggyu liked it a lot, he would have never considered singing the song with only a voice but hey, there was a new thing for everything.

The boy finished softly just as some door in the back opened and a boy with platinum blonde hair popped his head in, " _Woohyun-ah, we gotta go."_

" _Okay_ ," Woohyun called back and turned back to the camera, grinning, _"Well, hope you guys enjoyed it. Check out the mv if you liked the song and if you want to hear some original work, then stick by for the link at the end. See you later."_

He sent the camera an over exaggerated heart and disappeared. Sunggyu blinked once, twice, checked his clock and then shrugged to himself.

"Pretty good," he mumbled, typing back a quick response before getting to his feet. He stretched his arms and legs out before walking to the speakers and fiddling with his ipod. The beat of 'Light' played seconds later and he walked back into the center of the room, facing the mirror as if he was having a showdown with himself.

"C'mon Gyu," he breathed lightly, "Let's get this down."

 

\--

 

 _Gyuzi: Impressive, it's very good. Keep it up @Namstar! Fighting!_ _^^_

 

\--

 

"Are you okay man?" Hoya asked, staring down at his exhausted friend. Sunggyu merely waved his hand lazily, too tired to lift his head up from the table.

Sunggyu figured he'd probably get scolded for smudging his makeup later. They were finishing up his photo shoot the album cover and had at least two more sets to shoot on. The photographer was only taking a break his assistant was having a hard time fixing the lights, he excused himself to go help her and let Sunggyu grab some water...

or a nap, if he had time. (Which he didn't, but he was just 'resting' his eyes)

"How late did you stay last night?"

"Probably until... four?"

"Dude, you had a schedule at 7."

"I know."

"So you only got three hours of sleep?"

"If only," Sunggyu sat up and yawned, "What are you doing here?"

"I have a MV shoot in the building. Tasty is missing a back up dancer and since I helped choreograph the dance it only makes sense that I fill in."

Sunggyu raised his head and looked at Hoya for the first time. He was dressed in a black suit with his auburn hair sprayed up and eyeliner rimming his eyes. The idol had to snicker, seeing Hoya in makeup was always so weird. He imagined the dancer to be the epitome of a 'manly' man in the industry, but even he had to surrender to the stick of kohl every now and then.

"By the way, remember when I went to return the ipod last week?"

"What ipod?"

Hoya chuckled, "Your memory sucks. It's a wonder you can remember your lyrics."

"Sometimes I can't," Sunggyu smirks, "And I adlib. And that's why my performances are always so awesome."

"Right," he rolled his eyes and shoved him lightly, "That's not necessarily a good thing, but anyways! Remember how I said I was going to meet up with his friend and return it?"

"Yeah."

"Well it turns out that this friend is actually my hyung from high school."

Sunggyu's eyes widened, "Big lips, wide smile, a personality that rivals the brightness of the sun?"

Hoya looked perplexed, "Yes-"

"Dongwoo?"

"Yeah! You remembered?"

"I guess my memory doesn't suck ass after all. I remember you showing me pictures of you guys together," Sunggyu smiled, "You looked so young back then Howan-ah. Tell me, why is it he didn't get a job here if he is as good as you are?"

"He went to college, but he just graduated and got a gig at some dance studio in Gangnam."

Sunggyu let out a low whistle, "Damn, he's gonna make more money than you."

"It's not about making money Sunggyu," Hoya scolded half heartedly, "It's about doing what you love. We reconnected over coffee and cake. I got his number now so we can hang out more frequently."

He yawned, "That's nice."

"But that's not what all I mean to tell you," Hoya continued, ignoring Sunggyu's obvious want to end the conversation, "You know the guy that the ipod belonged to?"

"Yeah, Woohyun?"

"His name is..." the boy trailed off and stared at Sunggyu with confusion written on his face, "... you know him?"

"It's a long story, but I know of him," Sunggyu slouched back in his chair, feeling uncomfortable with the way his friend was staring at him. He looked around for the photographer and saw him laughing with his assistance as one of the interns attempted to fix the light that was much, much taller than him. He groaned, _That's gonna take a while._

"So you know he's YouTube famous then?"

Sunggyu turned back and blinked in surprise, "Is he really?"

"Yeah,  he's an unsigned singer I guess. But Dongwoo-hyung told me that he's your fan as soon as I mentioned working with you."

"I noticed. His cover's aren't that bad actually."

"You've heard them?"

"Yes, well... one... but seriously, why are you telling me this?"

"I need you to sign a CD for me," he cut straight to the point, "Hyung asked for one since Woohyun's birthday is coming up."

Sunggyu raised a brow, "Is that it? You know where the company has extras lying around, bring me one and-"

"He also requests you record a birthday message for him," Hoya interrupted hurriedly, looking anywhere but him.

The idol glared, "The hell-"

"I know you don't like doing more than you have to," Hoya sighed, "But if you could do me this favor then I'll go easier on you during practice, let you out early, and stay later if you need company."

Sunggyu was completely surprised. He really didn't like specializing messages for certain people if it wasn't at a fan event. He felt like it wasn't fair to the other fans and Hoya knew this very well, so hearing him ask something like this raised a few red flags in his head.

"Why are you so adamant about this?" Sunggyu leaned forward, analyzing him with prying eyes, "What's so special about this case."

"He's a friend hyung, that's all. A friend I really admire and-"

"You like him don't you?" an evil smile spread across the idol's lips.

Hoya's head snapped back towards him, "No-"

"Oh my god."

"Hyung-"

"You totally do."

"Sunggyu-"

"Oh my god! I have to text Sungjongie," Sunggyu whipped out his phone, "Our Howannie is in love~"

"Kim Sunggyu!" Hoya lunged for his phone, but Sunggyu leaned back in the chair and narrowly avoided his hands. He wasn't really going to text his cousin (at least not yet) but damn, it was so much fun to tease Hoya now that he discovered something the normally stoic male would actually get worked up over.

"if you get married, can I sing at your wedding?" Sunggyu stood from his chair, in case Hoya decided to push him off it, "I know the perfect song."

"Sunggyu!" the male's face was turning red, "Shut your mouth or I swear-"

" _Naekkeo haja, naega neol saranghae, ou~?_ __Naega neol geokjeonghae, ou~?_ _Naega neol kkeut kkaji,"__ He sang loudly, drawing attention and a few chuckles from the shoot supporters and managers. They didn't know what was going on, but Hoya's flustered face was highly amusing _, "C_ _haekim jil ge!_ "

"Sunggyu!" Hoya grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and Sunggyu's playful attitude disappeared.

"I want you to feature in my next single," He stated plainly, "Music video and stage performances included. The whole. Nine. Yards."

Hoya's stressed expression softened and he loosened his grip, "Hyung... I'm a backup dancer, a choreographer. I can't rap."

"Yes you fucking can," Sunggyu pushed his arms away and squeezed his shoulder, "You do this for me, and I'll film you a hundred birthday videos."

"Hyung..."

"Isn't Dongwoo your first _serious_ love anyways?"

Hoya's face flushed, "How do you know that?"

"Remember new years eve? After my performance, when we snuck away and bought 4 bottles of soju from the convenience store?" he began, "We got so wasted and you told me about how you use to get drunk with your dance partner. That was one of many stories but I think you get my drift."

Hoya was speechless for a couple of seconds, "... You're supposed to have bad memory hyung."

"Yeah, funny how some things stick," he shrugged, "... So do we have a deal?"

"I'll do a special stage with you next time you have a solo concert, how about that?"

"Has to be the one they make a CD out of."

"Hyung."

"I want the memories, Howon. Yes or no?"

The said male sighed, "I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"You don't," Sunggyu nudged him lightly, "Now I have a shoot to get back to. Shouldn't you be with the twins?"

"Huh? Oh... shit. Okay later Gyu."

The idol laughed as he watched Hoya scramble out of there. Not a moment too soon, the set director called Sunggyu back to finish the shoots and the boy obliged, walking with a light skip in his step. He had been dying to record a song with Hoya ever since he walked in on the boy rapping in the practice room. The auburn haired male said it was just for fun, but Sunggyu saw potential in him. He wanted to sing together and show others what he had.

Although it wasn't a recording, it was close and Sunggyu would take what he can get.


	2. Interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunggyu may have fucked up on live television

"Will that be all sir?" the cashier, Seulgi, asked, flashing a polite smile.

Sunggyu nodded lightly and handed her his card, looking around the packed room for any available seat. He noticed one open up seconds after the woman handed him back his card and zeroed in on it. However, she had to call him back to get him to sign the receipt and luckily the table was still open.

"We'll bring your order out to you when it's finished," she said, taking back the pen and giving him an order number.

Sunggyu immediately snuggled back into the lone booth and sighed contently. He had been dying to get out of the studio for days and it was pure luck again that Hoya was too busy with Tasty to monitor him. As much as he wanted to just hop on the train and head home for the weekend, he settled for sneaking out to a local cafe that recently opened.

He had heard a lot of good things online and it was constantly being advertized in newspapers. Sunggyu didn't know what was so special about it, but his curiosity got the best of him as soon as his manager came into work with "Timeless" logo on his cup.

"This place better be worth it," he mumbled, pulling out his phone. He surveyed the area once more, damn was it crowded. He took a picture of the to go line and sent it to Hoya, teasing him about his whereabouts. The auburn haired dancer replied with a selca with Soryong and Daeryong flipping him off.

Sunggyu rolled his eyes and reopened twitter. He was bored and had some extra time to kill before his managers started looking for him. Inspired by his boredom, he took a picture of the bookshelf behind him and created a new post.

 

_Gyuzi: The smell of coffee and the feel of coarse pages beneath my fingers... it almost feels timeless... so where am I?_

 

He snickered to himself. Every now and then he liked to play hide and seek with his fans, he always won though because no one knew what his street clothes looked like. They'd think it would be something akin to his airport fashion but in reality he was dressed much, _much_ more poorly.

"Americano?" a familiar voice asked and Sunggyu looked up.

Woohyun, the kid from the video, stood there smiling and looking dashing in his waiter attire. Sunggyu immediately dropped his gaze and nodded, motioning to the table in front of him. The boy placed it down and grabbed his order number.

"No food?" he asked lightly. Sunggyu shook his head. If this kid really was a fan of his, then he didn't want him to see through his disguise so quickly. The idol didn't know what kind of fan he was, he could potentially be a creepy stalker... though at this point it felt like Sunggyu was stalking him, _that's new._

Woohyun didn't take the hint that Sunggyu wanted to be left alone and say down across from him, "New here? Well... Everyone is I suppose. We just opened last week, though those people in the corner were here yesterday so I guess they don't count."

Sunggyu glanced at where he was looking and saw some students eyeing the brunet waiter.

"You don't talk much, do you?" he cocked his head to the side.

Sunggyu kept his bangs down and tugged his facemask up further.

Woohyun snapped his fingers then, "Ah! Are you sick?"

He nodded hesitantly. If the boy bought it then maybe he would leave him alone... only he didn't.

"Then what are you drinking coffee for? You should have our soup of the day!" He stood and put the number back down, "I'll get you a bowl and don't worry, it's on the house."

Sunggyu risked getting a look at the boy and was met with a brilliant smile. He felt his cheeks flush and nodded dumbly as Woohyun disappeared behind the counter. He watched as the boy talked to who he presumed to be the manager, making gestures at him as he worked on something. The slightly older woman with bleach blond hair glanced at Sunggyu and nodded, smiling towards him when he was caught looking.

Embarrassed, Sunggyu turned away and opted to text on his phone.

 

_To: Hoya  
Well what do you know? I don't need  to use my fame to get free things._

The store was slowly dying down at this point, for people needed to continue work or school. Sunggyu liked the atmosphere and stayed longer, which he later realized was a bad idea.

Woohyun returned shortly with his bowl of soup and placed it in front of him just as a mass of young teenagers shoved their way through the front door.

"Whoa... what happened I wonder," Woohyun mumbled, then shrugged and smiled at Sunggyu, "Our special today is clam chowder, but that doesn't do much good for a sore throat so I whipped you up some chicken noodle. I hope you like that."

Sunggyu's mouth watered at the smell and a small wave of nostalgia overcame him, making him momentarily forget the crowd, "T-thank you," he couldn't help but stutter, afraid his voice would give him away.

"Sure thing," He nodded and returned to help the girls in the front.

Sunggyu waited until he was completely gone before shifting his back away from the crowd and towards the window. He drew down his facemask and wafted the delicious scent towards his nose. It really did smell good and if Woohyun was as good of a cook as a singer then damn he was a complete package.

The idol laughed at his ridiculous thought and took a bite, savoring the juicy flavors. He opened his eyes and was met with the site of two girls staring wide eyed at him, phone in hand. He froze momentarily and gently shook his head.

The girls looked at each other and nodded slowly, then motioned for him to pose as they took a picture. Sunggyu couldn't help but laugh at the silliness of the situation and made a peace sign, spoon still in hand and winked.

He heard them squeal through the glass and bowed his head as they scurried off. Sunggyu quickly finished his soup and pulled his mask back up as Woohyun came back over with a to go cup.

"I figured you could take your coffee on the road. These girls... they just keep coming, saying that they're looking for someone," Woohyun sighed exasperatedly and stared at the ever growing line.

Sunggyu thanked him as he poured the remainder of his Americano in the cup and looked back at the door, _jesus, how am I gonna get out of here._

"You wouldn't happen to have a back entrance... would you?" Sunggyu asked, lowering his voice as much as he could without making it sound fake.

"Yeah, it may be hard to leave with this crowd" Woohyun smiled once more, _god damn that smile,_ and nodded towards the back, "There's another door by the bathrooms, it'll take you out on main street-"

"Woohyun oppa," a timid girl called, shaking nervously as she approached, "C-can I take a picture with you? I-I've seen all your v-videos and they're really nice and-"

"Sure thing," he winked, "Just let me help this customer first."

"Right!" she blushed madly and bowed towards Sunggyu, "I'm so sorry!"

Sunggyu adjusted his facemask as he waved her off. She ran back to her friends to tell them the news and the two boys laughed when they screamed. Sunggyu raised a brow, "You're quite popular, huh?"

"I've posted a few things online, I wouldn't say I'm popular but people like my work," he shrugged and handed Sunggyu a business card, "My name is Nam Woohyun, feel free to come by again."

"Thanks," Sunggyu stood and grabbed his bag, "See you around."

Woohyun nodded and walked towards the back. He suppressed a laugh when he heard the girls scream, "Oppa! Did you hear that Sunggyu is hiding somewhere nearby?"

"Really?"

The idol didn't stay for the rest of the conversation and pulled out his phone, checking three missed calls he received from his manager. A fourth one came in just as he got on the sidewalk and answered, "Hey hyung. I'm at Timeless Cafe, so come get me when you can."

 _"You're dead Sunggyu. We have to reshoot one of the music video scenes because some idiot decided to spill coffee all over it. You were needed here thirty minutes ago._ "

"Well let's not keep them waiting any longer."

" _No, the shoots been pushed back for 5, you've got some time to practice with Hoya before they need you._ "

Sunggyu groaned, this meant he was in for a world of hurt.

 

\--

 

"Sunggyu-yah!" Hoya greeted as soon as the poorly dressed idol stepped into the lobby, "What the hell are you wearing?"

"My disguise. I'm practically invisible," Sunggyu chuckled and took off his face mask. He flipped his hood down and ruffled his caramel locks before noticing a blond awestruck boy beside the choreographer, "Who's this?"

"Dongwoo, my hyung," Hoya stepped aside, "Hyung, this is Sunggyu-"

"Yah, why does he get to be called hyung?"

"Because he's cooler than you."

"Aish, you brat-"

"Hi!" Dongwoo's voice was loud; loud and familiar. Sunggyu's eyes widened when he realized it was the kid that came to get Woohyun from the video, but he kept his mouth shut, "It's great to meet you! I really appreciate what you're doing for me, so thank you!"

"I-It's no problem- wait... are we doing this now?" he frowned and looked down at his clothes. Sunggyu went out sporting a graphic tee, baggy jeans and a black zip-up, "Um... I don't think I look very presentable."

"You went out in public like that, didn't you?" Hoya snickered.

 "The point was for it to be a disguise."

"Quit whining and just do it."

Sunggyu glared at the boy and turned to his companion, "Your boyfriend is a huge dick to me sometimes."

Hoya's face went beet red and at that moment he looked like he wanted to murder Sunggyu. Dongwoo, however, laughed ridiculously, gripping his stomach as his own face turned red. When he gathered more control of himself, he waved his arms rapidly going ' _Nononononono!_ ' over and over again.

"Alright well, I've got some time before I'm needed, so let's do this," Sunggyu stretched his arms and tossed Hoya his backpack. He then stood in front of the 'Woolim Ent.' sign, "How old is he turning?"

Dongwoo fixed his camcorder before he spoke, "22."

"Ah, he's younger than me."

"Yup," The blond adjusted the lens before turning it back to himself. With a smile, he said, "Hey Woohyun-ah! I know you said you didn't want anything for your birthday, but being the amazing hyung I am I can't not get you something! It was tough though, I didn't know what to do. But then lady luck paid me a visit in the form of my precious dongsaeng Hoya," Hoya popped into the picture and waved, "so here is your present!"

Dongwoo turned the camera around and Sunggyu gave him one of his stage smiles, feeling more than awkward for talking into a camera in the middle of the lobby (He was also still in his street clothes, not the best appearance to have but hey, he was comfortable).

"Hello, my name is Kim Sunggyu! But... you probably already knew that right? Oh what to do," he unintentionally let some of his natural agyeo out when he scratched the back of his head, earning a snicker from Hoya. Ignoring him, the idol continued, "Woohyun-ssi... or can I call you Woohyun-ah as well? I want to wish you a happy birthday! Thank you for supporting me for these past few years, your covers are very good, don't ever give up on music! Let's see here..."

Sunggyu glanced down and realized he was still holding his face mask, "Oh! And one more thing. Thank you for the soup! It was quite delicious and you really didn't have to make it from scratch for me. Ah, but you don't know what I'm talking about do you? Maybe if I do this," he raised the mask and covered the bottom half of his face, "You'll recognize me?" He chuckled, and Dongwoo and Hoya couldn't have looked more confused, "Try not to lose your Itouch so easily. Enjoy your 22nd birthday!"

He waved until Dongwoo turned the camera back to himself , "I told you being a choreographer has it's perks. Happy birthday bud!"

Then the device was shut off and Sunggyu was bombarded with a myriad of questions.

"What the hell was that last part about?" Hoya asked, eyes wide.

Sunggyu shrugged and pocketed the mask, "I snuck out to go to a cafe called 'Timeless' and the kid was working there."

"He was?" Dongwoo laughed, "And he didn't recognize you? Oh Hyunnie!"

"As you can see," he motioned to himself, "My disguise is flawless... but two girls saw me when I took off my mask to eat, so it was _nearly_ flawless."

"Wow hyung. I don't even know what to say. Three encounters within the past two weeks? It's destiny."

"Yeah, except we only met once and he didn't know who I was, I wouldn't say that's destiny," Sunggyu shrugged and looked to Dongwoo, "Why hasn't he been signed yet? Hoya tells me he's YouTube famous but wouldn't he rather be a singer for some big time company?"

"YouTube partnered him, so he's got a lot of freedom to do as he pleases," Dongwoo hesitated to continue, "Please don't take offense to me saying this, but signed artists are usually restricted and... how do I put this.."

"Paraded around like show dogs? Highly expendable? Cash cows of the entertainment industry?" Sunggyu supplied, and the blond looked stunned, "I'm not offended. It's the truth, not all of us are lucky but hey, I like making music."

"I see..."

The conversation slowly died from there, so Hoya took this as an opportunity to change the topic. He pulled out a CD from his bag and handed it over to Sunggyu, accompanied by a sharpie, "One more thing and then you don't owe me any favors."

"Oh Howon-ah," Sunggyu chuckled darkly and signed the inside cover, "It's you who owes me, remember?"

 

\--

 

"They want me to what?" Sunggyu frowned as some makeup artists reapplied his eye liner. His manager stood off to the side, nodding as he delivered some unexpected news.

"You know what YouTube is, don't you?" he asked, "Well they're hosting their award show in Seoul and the company decided it would expose you to a wider audience if you were to perform there."

"B-but I'm not as nearly well known enough as other artists to have a solo stage there."

"That's not true," the older man rubbed his eyes tiredly, having stayed late at the company for a meeting. Sunggyu couldn't go home until he was done so he knows the older man's pain, "I keep tell you over and over, your popularity ranks have been increasing. Besides you did win on MNet and Music Bank."

"But I haven't had my comeback yet. They wouldn't want to hear the same old shit now would they?"

"Well the award show is in less than a month, so we're pushing your comeback to this Friday."

Sunggyu snapped his head around, earning half hearted lectures from the woman powdering his face, "Seriously? I still had another week though, don't the albums need to be printed and-"

Kang, his manager,  interrupted him quickly, "The press is making them a top priority, they'll be done by Wednesday and in stores Thursday. The music video will be released the same day and then your comeback stage will follow."

"Holy shit... you know how sudden this is, right?"

"Yes, that's why today when you're on the talk show you'll be announcing it."

" _I'm_ announcing it?"

"Yes," a director knocked lightly on the dressing room door and motioned for Sunggyu to follow him. Kang walked behind him, still explaining the basic information as they weaved in and out of the stage hands, "Think of it as a present to your fan club. I don't care how you fluff it up but let them know about the comeback update and the concert. We're getting sponsored by YouTube."

"Seriously... When was this all decided?" Sunggyu turned his head back, ignoring the tugging on his shirt as some women plugged him into a microphone.

"Yesterday evening. Though it was in discussion since last week."

" _That's_ why you had me reshoot the music video scenes Thursday? Because of this?"

"Precisely," Kang patted his back firmly and smiled, "Go get em."

"... Yes I know you've all been waiting for him, so let's bring out our final guest for the evening! Kim Sunggyu!" At the sound of his name, the studio audience went wild and Sunggyu stepped out on the well furnished stage. He was supposed to be interviewed by Lee Sora, a popular pretty faced host who got her fame from shows like Music Bank and what not.

This was her own show called 'Same Sky' where she interviewed other guests from different counties, as well as her native one.

"Thank you for having me," Sunggyu bowed and turned towards his fans, "Hello everyone!"

They screamed. Sora laughed, "My my, I haven't seen this much enthusiasm for a long time."

"Well, my Chingyus are always energetic. One of us has to be," the fans appeared to be agreeing with him, referencing to his time on Running Man when he claimed he was too tired to do any of the difficult activities. That was a lie obviously, he just didn't want to swim five laps in a pool wearing white swim wear, _that_ was a bad idea.

"So during the break I heard some interesting news," She teased the girls with a sly smile and leaned towards Sunggyu when he was settled in his seat, "Have anything you'd like to share?"

"Yes actually, I just recently heard about this myself," he admitted, and realized that if Sora was delving into the topic this early then that meant the changes were really last minute, "My comeback date has been changed..." there were load groans of disappointment, "... to this Friday."

The studio erupted into high pitched shrieks and Sunggyu was completely surprised. They looked so happy, so ridiculous happy that it made his chest swell with pride.

"Wow! That's fairly soon!" Sora commented as soon as the audience was tamed, "Any reason why?"

"I think..." he tapped his finger to his chin, "... that it has something to do with me performing on YouTube's award show coming up."

And the room lost it again. This time Sunggyu was laughing as some of the security guard had a hard time calming the absolutely ecstatic girls, "You'll all watch me, right?"

"YEEEESSSS" They answered in unison, voice bellowing throughout the small studio. Sunggyu smiled and turned to Sora, who seemed taken aback but such a strong reaction from them.

"You're all excited, aren't you?" she laughed, "Well then, I guess we should waste no time talking about your comeback."

The first part of the show consisted of Sora expertly inquiring on Sunggyu's new album. The questions weren't vague and allowed Sunggyu to elaborate on his answers. That was one reason why Sora was so successful as a host. She knew that the fans wanted to hear and let the artists talk for as long as they needed. The second half consisted of Sunggyu then performing one of his old tunes, _Because,_ and the remainder of the show was spent answering audience's questions.

This was Sunggyu's favorite part; interacting with his fans. They're what made him who he was today and he would be damned to not give them the love and attention they deserved. He was known for pleasing them after all.

Sora walked into the audience and stood next to the girls, handing them her microphone and allowing them to ask questions to the idol on stage. Then, it was the turn of a very young looking girl who couldn't have been older than a middle school student. She gripped her phone tightly as Sora encouraged her to speak, "S-Sunggyu oppa, recently it was my friend's birthday. Could you sing them happy birthday?"

"Sure, Whose your friend?" he leaned forward and gave her a kind smile. She looked like she was going to melt.

"H-He's not here... I was going to record it for him. His name is Woohyun and-"

"Oh? Woohyun-ah, as in Namstar?" _Shit._ Sunggyu's eyes widened and he quickly corrected himself, "I mean Woohyun-ssi?"

The damage was already done, and the girls let out a collective mass of excited noises, "You know Woohyun?"

"Yes, he's a very good singer," Sunggyu smiled, "To tell you the truth, someone else came up to me and asked the same thing. But I'll be more than happy to do it again."

"N-no, it's fine!" she waved her hand quickly and sat back down as the side conversation started to rise. More hands than before shot up into the air and Sora had a hard time picking who would go next. She settled with a girl with dyed blonde hair, "Oppa, would you consider doing a duet with Woohyun?"

"A duet?" Sunggyu blinked in surprise, "I suppose... He's got a good voice, I wonder if we could harmonize together..."

They screamed in agreement and Sora went to the next girl, "Now before I give you the mic, can you tell me who this Woohyun is?"

The girls sporting a high ponytail was quick to answer, "He's a singer like Sunggyu! Oppa! Would you meet Woohyun one day?"

"I already have," Sunggyu's mind blanked for a moment, and before he could take that back the crowd was already shouting questions to how, when and where. It was overwhelming and Sora had to cut the questions short to stop the madness. The show quickly ended and Sunggyu wasn't really paying attention to what happened, but the next thing he knew he was rushed back into his dressing room to get ready for his next scheduled event.

"What is the big deal with this Woohyun guy?" he huffed in frustration.

Kang's brows furrowed as he typed away quickly on his phone, "... Some kid on YouTube. He's going to be one of the interviewers for the YouTube event."

"Is he?"

"Yeah, because he's a native here. You're probably going to get interviewed by him too," Kang stared at Sunggyu with an unreadable expression, "I'm going to look more into this kid."

"Wow, that's not creepy or anything."

"It's not. The internet isn't a private place."

Sunggyu rolled his eyes, remembering the report on "Kpop Butts" and how high he scored on the list, "Yeah, tell me about it."

"So in the meantime, try not to do anything stupid, alright?" Kang smiled and grabbed his arm, "Come on, we're late."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cafe Woohyun works at is named after one of his solo's.
> 
> Sunggyu is gettin feels, Woohyun-ah, why are you the way you are?
> 
> More interaction in the next chapter, I'm just building a familiarity with the two.


	3. Sunggyu's Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunggyu eats with Sungjong, sings with Myungsoo, and has a lovely conversation with someone he didn't expect to meet so soon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of this fic, Chorong is a youtuber as well that specializes in drinks and mixes

"I saw your interview last night," Sungjong smirked, but it quickly changed into a grimace when Sunggyu slurped up the remainder of his noodles, "Gross."

"Slurping is considered a positive thing in Japan, which fits seeing as I'm eating ramen," Sunggyu calmly explained.

"Right... but we're not in Japan."

"We're in a Japanese restaurant."

"With _Korean_ chiefs."

"Then they should do their research," he huffed and put his chopsticks down, reaching for his drink, "So what about my interview?"

"Well for starters, your comeback changed?"

Sunggyu nodded, "I'm not too happy because that means I'm going to have to practice the dance more often, but what can I do?"

Sungjong stared at him blankly, "You could have fought them on it, though it would have ended the same way. But you're doing the YouTube show too?"

"I am."

"That'll be interesting... Performing with artists from all over the world."

"I wouldn't say that," Sunggyu shook his head doubtfully and swirled the bitter tea around, "I think a majority of on stage performances is going to be from SM and JYP."

"Still impressive, but that's _also_ not what I'm really curious about," Sungjong took a bite of his curry. Sunggyu looked at him suspiciously, he knew that his cousin only ever asked him out to eat when he wanted to make fun of him. Last time it was when Sunggyu's audio was cut during a live performance, but the singer recovered quickly and did the rest of the song a cappella style. It was a huge success... only Sungjong wouldn't let go of how shocked he was when the music disappeared.

"What is it Sungjongie? Spit it out before you choke on it."

"You do realize you broke the internet right?"  the younger boy cut straight to the point.

"How so?"

"With Woohyun," he snickered, "Have you seriously not been online?"

"No, I don't even know the meaning of the word," he mocked an pulled out his phone, intending to just Google 'Broken Internet Sunggyu' but Sungjong snatched the device from his hands, "Oi!"

"Let me pull something," he tapped rapidly on the screen and handed it back, showing a video titled, "102414 Same Sky Kim Sunggyu". Sungjong had the comments pulled up and literally every one he could understand (aka one that was in Korean) had said something about him and Woohyun. It was almost disturbing how fast these comments were coming in as well, "And that's just YouTube. You don't even want to _see_ twitter."

"Wow... impressive. Shouldn't they be studying?"

"Shouldn't you be practicing?"

"I'm on break."

"Then they are too," Sungjong smirked, "Don't underestimate fans. A majority of them have no life."

"I wish I had no life sometimes. Then I could sleep whenever I want," Sunggyu sighed and dropped his chopsticks in his empty bowl. Sungjong scoffed and reached across to flick his forehead, a habit he picked up from one of their mutual friends.

"You say that, and yet you have no idea how many people would kill to have what you have."

"Yeah but becoming a singer wasn't easy!"

"So you're just going to let all your hard work go to waste? What are you going to do? Disappear one night and just travel for years on end before deciding, 'huh, I really want to sing again'?"

Sunggyu narrowed his eyes and stole a bite of Sungjong's curry, "That's not at all what I meant. I just don't like the leash they have me on."

"The collar is getting tight, huh?" Sungjong hummed, "... Are you going to be busy in three weeks?"

"Maybe, why?" Sunggyu frowned, staring at his cousin in confusion.

Sungjong brushed back his over grown bangs and shrugged casually, "Nothing big, I just wanted to see if you'd help me participate at my talent show. There's going to be entertainment reps watching us and if I'm lucky I'll catch someone's eye."

"You know I can put a good word for you in my company, right?" Sunggyu frowned. Sungjong was a difficult boy. Having no brothers, he often viewed Sunggyu as one and tried to follow in his footsteps... in some ways at least.

"I want to do this on my own hyung, otherwise how will I know I deserved it?"

"I guess that makes sense... but what do you need me for?"

"Vocals. I say that now, but I was actually hoping you'd get in touch with Myungsoo for me and see if he can lend me his skills."

Sunggyu snorted, "He hasn't touched his guitar in a long while, besides I'd think he'd be too focused on his photography to help you."

"Just ask him for me."

"Alright, alright," Sunggyu held his hands up in defeat, "I'm gonna head over to Myungsoo's anyways, do you want to just come with me?"

"I would if I could," the younger boy stood and gathered his things from the chair beside him, "I gotta study for midterms. My religions class is kicking my ass."

"That sounds contradictory."

"Well I assure you it's true," Sunggyu laughed and nodded as Sungjong fixed his beanie. His cousin looked back at Sunggyu and gave him a small smile before exiting the nearly empty restaurant. The elder man sighed and briefly wondered if he would have ended up as studious as Sungjong if he had continued with his education. It was weird to think of himself s doing anything other than singing though, working in an office building didn't suit his character at all.

But still... _what if?_ Sunggyu continued to ponder this with two empty bowls of plates sprawled in front of him and the smell of cigarette smoke wafting through the air.

\--

 

The walk to Myungsoo's was short. His friend lived downtown, since it was close to all attractions and he could essentially be at his studio in less than five minutes, so Sunggyu didn't have to hide himself for too long.

Along the way, he came across a man strumming a guitar in a park nearby wearing a black cap and face mask. His plaid shirt was hidden beneath his jacket and his worn guitar sang soft nostalgic tunes. Sunggyu stopped in his tracks and closed his eyes, letting the familiar melody wash over him before approaching the male with a smile on his face.

"Fancy seeing you here," he said once the song was over. The man looked up and grinned, the only evidence of it being the curve of his eyes, "And on your guitar no less."

"If it's any consolation, I didn't anticipate your arrival either," He said, pulling down his face mask just enough to speak without a muffle, "Hey hyung, what brings you here?"

"I was headed to your place actually."

"Oh? Why?"

"I was in the neighborhood. Sungjong and I had dinner together."

"Ah that kid. I saw him earlier," he chuckled and strummed the old strings absentmindedly, "He gave me a couple of won when he passed. He stuffed it in my coat pocket and said I should use it to buy another hat so people can donate."

"He thought you were a beggar?"

"Possibly."

Sunggyu laughed and sat next to him, sliding his beanie off to ruffle his hair, "That friend is funny, isn't he?"

"More than you know. Congrates on your comeback, by the way. When is it? Friday?"

"Yeah, pretty damn soon."

"How's that dance coming along?"

"It's terrible. What did you expect? I have as much talent when it comes to dancing as you do when it comes to resisting to purchase a plaid shirt. "

"I have no resistance hyung. Plaid matches everything and it makes me look good."

"Exactly."

Myungsoo laughed and began playing one of Sunggyu's songs on his guitar. It was the song the fellow music maker collaborated with him on in honor of Mnet's 200th episode, "In regards to your earlier question... I just got the urge to play. It was like an itch that wouldn't go away no matter how hard I hit it."

"I can understand that, but this song? Really? This was such a long time ago..."

He smiled fondly, "Still my favorite collab. This was my debut as a song writer wasn't it?"

"And your farewell as an idol," Sunggyu sighed, "Can't believe you're a producer now."

"I don't just produce things hyung," he followed his words with a random rhythm and then started playing an American song Sunggyu knew all too well.

The singer's eyes widened and he buried his face in his hands, "Oh god. Why."

"You better sing if you don't want me to look like a fool," Myungsoo said as the first verse was coming up.

"I hate you," he coughed and counted the beats. Then, he started singing 'Lucky' by Jason Mraz. He liked the song, but he always felt self conscious of it because there were certain English words his tongue refused to form and often made him sound weird. Still, he enjoyed singing it and soon forgot his insecurities.

With his eyes closed, he didn't notice the small crowd gathered around them until a girl, obviously an English speaker, joined in.

He opened his and smiled at her as they continued the song. Myungsoo looked pleased as well and kept playing until they reached their end. The idol didn't know if the lighting was bad or if the crowd was oblivious, but as soon as the song ended they were applauded and the people continued on their way.

Myungsoo stood and bowed to the girl, then motioned for Sunggyu to follow him.

 

\--

 

"Do you want something to drink?" Myungsoo offered twenty minutes after they crashed on his couch and were deep in a game of star craft.

"You ask me this now?"

"It didn't occur to me," the game ended and Myungsoo pushed his computer away, grunting when he stood.

"Don't over-exert yourself now."

"Please grandpa," he scoffed and trudged into the kitchen, "Oh, so what's this deal with Woohyun?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, that YouTuber. The guy every girl in Korea has been freaking out over," Myungsoo returned with a can of beer and threw himself next to Sunggyu. He used his foot to push the computer the idol was using away and offered him a sip. The latter declined and Myungsoo took a drink before he continued, "God I hate this brand, why do I keep buying it?"

"Isn't it Sungyeol's favorite?"

"... Right."

Sunggyu laughed. Sungyeol was an up and coming actor that Myungsoo had taken a liking to. He had agreed to make a song for his drama if he got to meet the lanky kid at least once and the two hit it off well enough to visit each other whenever they had a break in their schedules.

Needless to say, Myungsoo harbors a small crush on the actor.

"When are you going to ask him out?" Sunggyu inquired, checking the texts on his phone absentmindedly.

"How about never?"

"Why?! You clearly like the kid and he likes you back."

"As a friend maybe," Myungsoo sighed, "The world isn't sunshine and rainbows for a gay man my friend."

"Well then the two of you can suffer under society's scrutinizing gaze together."

Myungsoo rolled his eyes, "As much as I'd love to live my life being judged by everyone, that would only work if my person of interest liked men as well."

"Doesn't he?"

"Hell if I know, but I won't make things weird between us if he doesn't."

Sunggyu watched him carefully, "I don't know if I should call you an idiot or pity you... or both."

"You've distracted me," Myungsoo reached over and flicked his forehead,  "Bad."

"Yah! I'm your hyung!"

"And I don't care," Myungsoo's phone started to ring and he glanced over at it. Sunggyu noted how his brows furrowed before he reached for it and went to answer it in the other room. Obviously curious, Sunggyu stood up and followed after him. He stopped in the kitchen doorway and listened to the guitar player talk with his back faced towards him.

"... Are you drunk?... Slightly huh? Why am I not surprised. Do you have someone with you at least?... Okay... Here? Now?" Myungsoo turned his head and saw Sunggyu standing there with his arms crossed. He narrowed his eyes and gave him a chastising look before continuing, "Hey, Woohyun? Yeah I'll text you my address... okay, see you then."

Sunggyu frowned and waited for him to hang up, "Since when are you friends with Woohyun?"

"More like acquaintances," Myungsoo pocketed the phone and pulled Sunggyu back into the living room, "Sungyeol got drunk and Woohyun is worried about taking him someplace crowded in fear of causing a scene that may ruin his reputation or something. He's going to come drop him by... Say... this would be a good time for you to meet him."

Sunggyu tensed up, "Huh?"

"Yeah, since you're going to get interviewed by him in a couple of weeks or something why not meet him before hand?"

"How do you know that?" Sunggyu threw a pillow at him, "And why did you invite him over without checking with me first!?"

"Because this is my house! And since we're going to perform a stage together, it's obvious that we'd be interviewed together."

Sunggyu gaped at him, "We're doing a stage together?"

"Didn't your publicist tell you?"

"No..."

"Huh, guess I ruined the surprise."

"Suprise... Ha, surprise my ass," Sunggyu huffed angrily and threw his arms up in frustration. He had finally snapped, "Nobody tells me anything anymore! Am I just some puppet now? God that's pretty much what I've been since the beginning, huh? Shit, why did I even get into this life?"

Myungsoo was definitely not expecting this reaction. He had actually told them not to tell Sunggyu about their stage together but he can see that it struck a nerve somewhere inside the older man. He didn't know if it was stress or not, but all he could worry about now is calming him down.

"Hyung, it's my fault. I-"

"I mean I know I'm pretty much what keeps Woolim alive, hell without me they'd be bankrupt but how can they keep treating me like this? At least treat me like a human being!" Sunggyu stood and kicked a pile of Myungsoo's clothes angrily, "Fuck, I'm not a mindless doll!"

"Hyung!" Myungsoo jumped to his feet and cupped Sunggyu's face firmly so he wouldn't look away, "Hyung I told them not to tell you."

"It's not just this Myung!" he yelled exasperatedly, grabbing his wrists with not much strength, "They've changed my concept, they've changed my comeback, they've changed everything all without considering my choices! I didn't sign up for this Myung... I didn't..."

Sunggyu knew his eyes were starting to water, he could feel the sting and he really hoped he wouldn't cry. Myungsoo was the type of person to blame himself if he saw other people were hurt. Hell Sunggyu wasn't hurt, he was irritated, angry, upset but certainly not at Myungsoo.

The guitarist looked like he wanted to say something, but there as a knock at the door followed the slur cry of Myungsoo's name called for his attention.

Sunggyu closed his eyes and sighed deeply before gently pulling the boy's hands off his face and wiping his eyes, "Get the door."

"Hyung-"

"I'm fine... I just over reacted. Get the door before your neighbors report you for disturbing the peace."

Myungsoo gave him a fleeting look and walked to the front door. Sunggyu stared hard at the ground and tried to pull himself together as he listened to Sungyeol's high laughter when he saw Myungsoo. He heard another voice apologize repeatedly for bothering him, but Myungsoo reassured the stranger it was fine and invited him inside.

Sunggyu shook his head and looked up when Myungsoo returned, Sungyeol in tow.

"Sungyeol, you remember my hyung right?" he spoke as if he was speaking to a child and the actor grinned as such.

"Heyyy~" he clung onto Myungsoo.

"Yah, Woohyun-ssi! you can come in you know," Myungsoo yelled over his shoulder.

"I didn't know you had guests over. I'm so sorry," his voice was growing louder, meaning he was coming closer and Sunggyu didn't know what to do. He didn't have that much experience dealing with fan boys so hopefully it wouldn't be weird.

"Don't apologize, it's just my stupid hyung."

"Watch yourself Kim Myungsoo," Sunggyu warned playfully and the boy rolled his eyes.

Sunggyu felt his pocket vibrate and glanced down. It was a call from his manager. Without sparing Myungsoo a second glance, he quickly retreated to the terrace and closed the glass door behind him. The summer night was warm and didn't call for that heavy of a coat, so Sunggyu felt fine in his thin sweater.

He answered the call and stared off at the city lights below him, "What's up?"

" _Where the hell are you? Your comeback is practically here!_ " the old man's voice blared through the speaker and Sunggyu rolled his eyes.

"I've been relieving stress... and not in the way that sounds! Nothing dirty!"

" _Like hell you would Sunggyu. We know you too well._ "

"You wanna bet? Alright, I'm with Myungsoo and we just made sweet, sweet love."

" _I highly doubt you'd be fucking Myungsoo. I'll let you off the hook for the night, but tomorrow I'm picking you up at the dorm around 6._ "

"Why so early," Sunggyu  turned around and leaned  against the railing, staring back into the house through the slider. A familiar dark skinned boy sat on the closest couch to the door, his black hair was styled up and his clothes were a little disheveled, Sunggyu figured he had a hard time taking care of Sungyeol after he got shit faced at some club.

Sensing his eyes, the boy looked towards him and Sunggyu's stomach turned with the same feeling he got when he saw those eyes at ' _Timeless_ '. Woohyun's eyes widened slightly, but his overall composure seemed calm. He half expected the boy to look away, start squealing or pass out (not to brag, but thats the usual reaction he gets).

However, the boy didn't back down, looking at the idol as if he wasn't one at all. Sunggyu didn't look away though, and the two continued to stare until the older male realized his manager was trying to get a response from him.

"Yeah, you're going to need to repeat that," Sunggyu said, still watching Woohyun. The kid didn't look like he was going to back down, so Sunggyu wouldn't either.

But holy hell, that kid looked fine.

" _I_ said _we've gotta get you fit for your stage costume and go over some new changes in the choreography. Then it's vocal practice and more dance practice until... well, you know what. What are you doing that's got you so distracted?_ "

"Nothing, your voice just bored me," Sunggyu joked and quirked his lips. Woohyun smiled slightly and Sunggyu wanted to punch the handrail.

 _Damn it, he's not even doing anything and he makes me want to melt,_ Sunggyu thought, _please have a terrible personality._

" _Yah! Respect your elders!_ "

"I'm kidding hyung. I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early."

" _Alright kid. Get some rest._ "

"As much as I can," Sunggyu agreed and ended the call. He didn't go inside immediately, the air was too warm and Myungsoo's tiny apartment was freezing. Woohyun waited to see what Sunggyu would do, and eventually stood up when the idol made no move to return.

Sunggyu eyed him carefully as he walked to the slider and pulled it back; he shivered at the sudden rush of cool air but then Woohyun closed the door and the night warmed him up again.

"Cold?" Woohyun asked, leaning on the space next to him, his voice was just as relaxing as when he heard it at timeless, only it felt more casual.

"Not really."

"Good," There was silence and Sunggyu wanted to laugh. Woohyun was nervous, if his shaking leg was any indication, but he would have never known if he hadn't checked him out (yes, he checked him out), "Is there any point in introducing myself?"

"Not really. How about for me?"

"No," Woohyun smiled and Sunggyu could have sworn he saw his eyes flicker down, "Nice to meet you Sunggyu-ssi."

"And you as well Woohyun-ah," he teased, almost immediately regretting it because even though the two just met, there was still limits to what a stranger can do. Apparently Woohyun was okay with it, because he laughed and looked away embarrassed. Sunggyu thought his cheeks were red, but it could have also been the neon signs below them.

"Would it be alright if I dropped formalities as well?"

Sunggyu nodded and gave him his best idol smile. Strange enough, it felt more real than his other ones, "Are you surprised to see me?"

"You don't know the half of it," Woohyun chuckled and looked up, "I still don't believe I am. I almost didn't go out with Sungyeol tonight too. I thought my time would be better spent making a video but he wanted to hang out so... thank God I did."

"Lucky," Sunggyu laughed, "You know, you've practically been haunting me these past few days."

"Have I?"

"Yup," Sunggyu sighed heavily and slouched, "Woohyun this, Woohyun that, it seemed like everywhere I went your name was mentioned. I had dinner with my cousin today and he says we broke the internet."

"Oh God, I know," Woohyun laughed as well and shook his head. He pulled out his phone and showed Sunggyu his twitter feed, which was filled with nothing but tweets telling him to watch 'Same Sky', "I haven't watched the full show yet, but I did see the part everyone is talking about."

"I apologize if that caused you any inconvenience-"

"Me?!" he turned to him, wide eyed, "You're must be joking. If anything I probably bothered you."

"But I brought it up."

"But my admiration started this whole mess."

Sunggyu bit his cheek in an attempt to suppress his smile, but that didn't hide it, "Let's just agree that we both are bothersome people."

"Fair enough," Woohyun grinned, his eyes curving up and _fuck he isn't a jerk._

"What was your occasion for drinking? Surely this isn't a habit of yours. I mean I get that you're young but-"

"Sungyeol landed a script for some A-list movie. He's finally getting out of the drama scene and leading a serious life as an actor. The role isn't major but he's playing a character that was everyone's favorite in the original book so he's gone some shoes to fill. we were partying to celebrate."

"Oh... tough," Sunggyu frowned, "I mean, good for him but that's going to be stressful."

"You think so?"

He nodded and picked at the fuzz on his shirt, "There's an expectation he has to live up to. I can't really speak for the script when I say it'll follow the book it's based off or whatever, but a lot of good movies have been ruined by people who just don't understand the character they're playing. It's sad really."

"I agree," Sunggyu looked up and found Woohyun watching him, "But Sungyeol is a good actor. He's dedicated, so I have faith in him. I know he'll do well."

The singer smiled softly, "I am inclined to believe you Woohyun."

Woohyun's cheeks were red again, this time the elder knew it wasn't from the street lights. Their conversation was interrupted by the screech of glass and Myungsoo peeking his head out the door, "What are you doing out here still?"

"It's freezing inside! How do you expect me to stay in longer than five minutes?!"

The guitarist huffed, "I turned off the AC alright? It's fine! Was it cold in there Woohyun-ssi?"

"Only slightly, and you can call me Woohyun."

"Yah, you're just taking his side," Myungsoo mumbled and opened the door wider. "Well it's warming up, so get your asses back in here before the paparazzi spot you or something."

"We're too high, I think we'll be fine," Sunggyu smirked and nudged Woohyun lightly as he walked back in. The elder stretched his arms out and cracked his neck before collapsing back on the worn leather couch.

Woohyun did the same, only he stretched his legs and took a seat next to Sunggyu, "What is Sungyeol doing?"

"Sleeping in my bed, you probably won't be able to take him home tonight, he's way too wasted to walk in a straight line," Myungsoo chuckled.

"Yeah, why do you think he was practically hanging off my shoulder when I got here? He kept taking off his face mask too which was frustrating as hell when there are people coming up to _me_ because they know me from online. Imagine their surprise when Sungyeol launched into some weird monologue he had to memorize in high school."

"Is that how you two know each other?"

"Nope, We met when I did a variety show. I was honestly just a filler for some idol that couldn't make it but Sungyeol and I got along really well there. Our bickering and pranks are what raised the show's ratings."

"Now I'm curious," Sunggyu mumbled, "What show?"

"Oh hyung- can I call you that?" the said male nodded, "-You really don't want to watch it. It's stupid and we acted like total kids."

"We'll watch it together some other time," Myungsoo smirked, "I was the idol that couldn't make it, so I had it recorded to see how well they did without me. It would have been Sungyeol's and my first meeting too."

"Thanks Myung."

"God this is so embarrassing." Woohyun buried his face in his hands and Sunggyu had to laugh. The kid's childish reactions were cute and made him watch to find out more things to tease him about.

"Do you guys want something to drink?"

"Nope."

"What do you have?"

"Only the nasty shit Sungyeol drinks," Sunggyu leaned over, "Have you ever had it? I had to drink it on a dare and it was traumatizing. I don't really like alcohol anymore because of that."

"No..." Woohyun trailed off, "Sungyeol wanted me to try it, but the color was off-putting."

"You guys suck," Myungsoo huffed, "What the hell am I gonna do with these cans in my fridge?"

"Don't know, don't care. This is your fault anyway," Sunggyu  gave him a knowing look and scooted closer to Woohyun, "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to speak to someone a lot less stupid."

The guitarist raised a brow, "Are you trying to make me jealous hyung?"

"I'm trying to block you out- GAH," Sunggyu nearly choked on his words when  Myungsoo launched the empty beer can at him. He leaned to the side to avoid it, practically leaning against Woohyun in the process and sent a glare to Myungsoo, "You brat."

"Your reflexes are getting better."

"Your aim just sucks," He switched to Woohyun's other side so the boy was in between Myungsoo and himself. Woohyun didn't seem to mind though, he was laughing at their banter and leaned down to pick up the discarded garbage, "Just leave it. Myungsoo needs to clean later."

"It's a habit of mine though. I usually clean at home and at work when I get bored," Woohyun explained and put the can on the table.

"Work? Like at Timeless?"

"Yeah, when I'm not working in the back as a chief I help the girls out front take orders, deliver food, and clean... speaking of which," Woohyun faced Sunggyu, "I made you chicken soup."

Sunggyu grinned mischievously, "You did."

"And you sent out that tweet."

"I did."

"Hyung!" he whined childishly, "Do you know how crowded our store was after you left? Those girls didn't leave for two hours because they thought you were hiding somewhere inside!"

"Well when I sent that I was," Sunggyu sunk against the couch, "Sorry if I caused you problems."

"Ah don't worry about it," he laughed with a boyish grin," Didn't we agree earlier we were bothersome people?"

"Mhmm," Sunggyu's lips curved up, "So you're a cook outside of... well... making videos?"

"I am. Cooking is my passion, after singing of course. I've always wanted to be a chief but I knew I wouldn't have time to work full time. That's why my friend Chorong and I opened a cafe together, I could cook small portions of food and she could continue creating clever drink recipes."

"Wah, so you've got the best of both worlds, huh?"

"So to speak yeah. Sometimes we have open mic night and I can perform for something other than my camera," he laughed.

"Oh man, do I know _all_ about that," Sunggyu closed his eyes briefly and thought back to his past, "That was pretty much my only source of income after high school. That and working at a music store."

"Really?"

"Mhmm, I was in a band actually, but we only lasted for a couple of months... sad really," Sunggyu stared distractedly at the ceiling, "I wonder what they're doing... probably still playing together. Our artistic styles clashed dramatically, which is what led to our down fall."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I knew you were in a band but I didn't know what happened to you guys."

The idol opened his eyes and was slightly startled to see how close they were, but it wasn't an uncomfortable distance and the look Woohyun was giving him made him feel like he could spill all his secrets and insecurities and not... well, feel bad about complaining.

"Don't worry about it. Past is past, if I hadn't left I wouldn't be where I am today," he smiled reassuringly, "So how did you start making videos?"

Sunggyu and Woohyun continued to chat deep into the night, completely unaware of Myungsoo and what he was doing. The guitarist was getting his revenge for being ignored, and Sunggyu would see it in the morning.


End file.
